Dumagat Ecolodge

Sitio Masla, Barangay Sablang, General Nakar, Quezon Province

Designed by: LPU staff and the Masla community

Dumagat Ecolodge by LPU Staff and Masla Community

A Critique by Patreze D. Aberilla

I am one of the students who visited and stayed in Sitio Masla last August 8 to August 9. I
finally saw the fruit of all the money that I have contributed in all the fund raising events of LPU.
The moment I saw the ecolodge, I made up my mind that it will by my subject for my next
critique.

Dumagat Ecolodge, also called Beloy a Pigtaanan ni Dumaget by the Dumagats, was
made for the purpose of accommodating the Lycean students as well as the faculty staff and other
group of individuals who will visit Sitio Masla to conduct an outreach and training programs. It
is also made to generate income for the Dumagats as part of their long-term plan.

The ecolodge itself, without the roof, looks like a normal rectangular box. Above the
walls was a bunch of leaves, which serves as a roof, are in a diagonal position. There are two
triangular shapes in the middle of the front and back of the roof. It has rectangular and elongated
flat woods in the walls which are arranged in three different kinds: horizontal, vertical and
diagonal which can form square patterns or small rectangle patterns while below it are the round
woods that are only arranged vertically. There are also square glass windows which are
combined together and can form a rectangular shape. It also has two vertical posts in the entrance
and above it was a curve arc.
The colors which are present are the colors of the natural resources that are in the
ecolodge. There is a whitish, light brown color that comes from the wood and dried leaves, a

dark brown color that comes from some of the woods being used and the other is stones that are
combined together because of cement which the color is gray. But not all the stones are gray;
there are also white stones that are also spotted. The ecolodge is a two-storey building thats why
it can cast a huge shadow during daytime.

Dumagat Ecolodge was an evolved design from the LPU staff and the Masla community,
which is the Dumagats. According to Community Outreach and Service Learning or also known
as COSeL, the ideas about the design of the ecolodge were also derived from ethnic designed
homes/resorts which they have saw in Palawan (e.g. the use of stones for riprap), Aurora, Rizal
provinces including researches from the net. The structure is not only made of wood and stones
which are used the most but also cogon grass, sand, uway, and other natural resources found in
the area that can be a good use in building it.

Honestly, Dumagat Ecolodge was not my first choice but I was deeply attracted to the
design of it thats why I changed my mind. The ecolodge looks like an Antillean houses because
of the combination of concrete at the bottom part of the wall as a base and the rest is made up of
wood. I am madly in love in nature and the materials that are being used to construct the
ecolodge were one of the reasons why I truly like the structure. Another is the combination of the
light brown and gray results which gives me a bright and calm feeling. Lastly, it is how the
materials are arranged, especially the pattern of the woods in the walls. My most favorite part
was the uppermost part of the left and right walls. Some of the woods are not exactly have the
same measurement but they manage to put it with beauty. The ecolodge is not just a superb on
the outside but also on the inside. Inside of it is so spacious it can accommodate lots of people. It

is also well-ventilated because the wind can easily go inside the building. At the end of the day,
the Dumagat Ecolodge is not just for aesthetics and attraction; it never fails to do its function
which is to accommodate people.